Chinese Carbon MTB Forums
News:
Happy Holidays!
See likes
See likes given/taken
| Post info | No. of Likes |
|---|---|
Re: Interesting Aliexpress finds! - good deals, interesting stuff, new products etc!
I have 7 items that I ordered on 11-11 that haven't even shipped yet! OTOH, I have been ordering up to 10 items on their $1.99 sale with free shipping when you order 3 items minimum. These batches of items have been taking about 10 working days to arrive. (Delivery to Montana) I have 2 items from past "12 day guaranteed" purchases/sales, (or get a free $1 coupon) that have gone missing, and I am waiting for the 45 days to pass so I can get a refund. 3 of other small items that I ordered on 13th Nov are here today (Washington state). Items in question - Varia tail light mount, Taimeli titanium screws, Heppe golden cables. The tracking shows they came from China and not shipped locally within USA. That is actually *pretty* fast. If they keep up like this and reduce shipping even further, down to 5-6 days I will stop ordering sh*t from Amazon Prime which is 95% AliExpress stuff anyway, except fast shipping cost factored in. P.S. Interestingly the Heppe cables came in a bubble wrap with large sticker on it that said "TIME SENSITIVE MATERIAL INSIDE" LOOOOLLL November 21, 2023, 07:41:44 PM |
1 |
|
Eddie's Airwolf YFR066 Build Thread
Hello everyone and happy thanksgiving to the US folks! I wanted to create a build thread for my Airwolf YFR066 to document my experience with the frameset, as well as all the rest of the Aliexpress deals I have gotten over 11.11 sales (and soon to be black friday sales). Overall goals: -Less aggressive geometry (my current bike I don't have steerer tube left and I need a >17 degree stem to get the handlebars up enough) -Space for larger tires (25c barely fits with my current frame, 28-32C is ideal with room to grow) -hydraulic disc brakes -full carbon ~50mm wheels with wide rim width, tubeless compatible -newer groupset with at least 11 speed -Compact/semi compact crank with shorter crank arms (and power meter) -Similar weight or lighter than my current ~2010 era road bike (~18 lbs) -As many random Aliexpress orders as I can get  Here's a link to a Google Sheets with parts list and Aliexpress links: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1y6uIFHe2vutMn3ikGuVbpPe8hX08V3uloqBeOdkRBoc/edit?usp=sharing I've also attached a screenshot of the document to this post as a reference. Quick overview: -Airwolf YFR066 frame without integrated cockpit -Elitewheels Edge 50mm wheels -OG-Evkin stem/handlebar -Shimano Ultegra 11 speed hydraulic disc groupset -Magene P505 power meter -GP5000 ~30c tires Currently rolling up in the 16-17lb range. Received so far: -OG-Evkin handlebar -Shimano Ultegra groupset November 22, 2023, 09:22:01 PM |
1 |
Re: Elves Falath EVO 2023
As a counter argument, I just build bike and rides them as a hobby, and I will definitely buy the new BMC Teammachine R when the frameset becomes affordable (lower grade carbon and sale season). However, I can't fight against my DNA, and if I find a cheap and good stuff, I will buy it xD. This is why I have been buying Lightcarbon and Yishun frames I just ride bikes for fitness and to supplement my strength training. The only name brand bike frame that remotely peaks my interest is the Aethos, but some interesting copycat molds are starting to trickle. I might as well build one of those down the road! November 26, 2023, 12:50:38 PM |
1 |
|
Re: Eddie's Airwolf YFR066 Build Thread
Small update--I ended up getting some more odds and ends during Black Friday: -Magene P505 power meter (will use my Shimano Ultegra chainrings) -Brake bleed kit -Internal housing foam/damper -Brake hose cutting tool -ExAid ultralight bottle cages -OG-EVKIN bar tape Nearly everything has shown up so far except the frame and power meter (was a pre-buy--shipped yesterday). The frame is still stuck in paint I think--it's taken way longer than I expected to get everything through. Weights: -Shimano 160mm rotor - 117g w/ lockring -Shimano 140mm rotor - 98g w/ lockring -Elitewheels Front - 635g -Elitewheels Rear - 731g -Ultegra cassette - 244g December 09, 2023, 02:53:02 PM |
1 |
Re: Eddie's Airwolf YFR066 Build Thread
I ordered tubeless valve stems since the wheels didn't come with any--and promptly ordered the wrong size. I had selected 80mm, but then picked a different color and it auto selected 60mm instead  so I had to order another set. They arrived today, so I was finally able to install the tires!I used the included rim tape from the Elitewheels box--I was debating one or two wraps, but after one wrap on one wheel it looked like there was definitely not enough for two wraps, so I stuck with about 1 1/4 for each wheel. I was really worried installing the GP5000s since I've heard so many nightmares with tubeless tires on road bikes, but I was able to get them installed by hand. One thing that helped was getting the tire to "straddle" the rim for the first bead so it didn't want to pop off so much. I was also able to seat the whole rim with a floor pump as well. I didn't put in sealant yet, but pumped up to ~70psi, which is close to the max recommended for 30c tires on these rims. I was surprised that even with the 30c tires, they didn't overlap the external width of the rim too much. As far as other parts--frame still hasn't shipped, though the last communication I had a few days ago was that it was possibly in paint. There's a few days remaining in the (extended) shipping time, so hopefully I'll see movement yet. At this rate even the power meter will beat the frame here! December 13, 2023, 07:04:28 PM |
1 |
|
Re: Eddie's Airwolf YFR066 Build Thread
Update on Airwolf fiasco, I've repeatedly tried to get info from Airwolf on when my frame will get shipped but other than one message "I'm asking the paint factory" I haven't heard anything from them. Today, I asked if the frame was going to ship before the ship time ran out, and they didn't message me back, but marked the frame as "shipped" with no tracking number. Suffice to say, this isn't very confidence inspiring. I'm 35 days into this order--I've definitely given them the benefit of the doubt, but this feels fishy to me. Hopefully they will update with a tracking number early next week. December 16, 2023, 08:13:41 AM |
1 |
|
Re: Eddie's Airwolf YFR066 Build Thread
Some initial photos... Power meter and frame arrived today! I was surprised it included both the bottom bracket and headset (I already ordered a bottom bracket). Note I did pay extra to have both 7x7 and 7x9 seatpost mounts available. December 22, 2023, 04:07:05 PM |
1 |
|
Re: Eddie's Airwolf YFR066 Build Thread
Second photo post--some quick early photos trying to take shots inside the frame. I know an elementary level of carbon--I think this is using the air bladder style inside instead of the EPS that newer/nicer frames use? It definitely doesn't look as nice as other internal shots I've seen, but I don't know if it's an unsafe level?
December 22, 2023, 04:09:58 PM |
1 |
|
Re: Eddie's Airwolf YFR066 Build Thread
Finally figured it out--silly mistake . 1. Unscrew the bolt holding the front derailleur housing stop, you'll need to hold the back side of the "spring clip" by putting your finger into the frame so it doesn't spin freely. 2. Once the bolt is loose, remove the housing stop and retrieve the "spring clip" that fell into the bottom bracket area 3. Route the front derailleur housing out of the opening in the frame 4. Thread the spring clip back onto the bolt--only screw on enough to get the thread started 5. Put the assembly on the end of the front derailleur housing 6. Push the assembly back into the opening as far as you can. It won't fully seat because the spring clip needs to be pushed in far enough to "spring" into the opening in the frame. Use an allen/hex wrench to push the bolt (with the spring clip barely threaded on the end) into the frame--pushing the bolt directly will push the spring clip into the frame enough that it will actually grab 7. Screw the bolt until the front derailleur housing step is secured. Note you may need to put your finger on the spring clip so it doesn't rotate Hopefully that description plus the photos makes it easier for the next person! I routed all three cables up through the down tube--front derailleur in the center (with foam), then rear brake on the brake side and read derailleur housing on the derailleur side. Everything routed through the headset pretty easily. My OG-EVKIN stem is really tight on the steerer tube, I had to pry it open a bit with a flat head screwdriver to get it to fit (my aluminum stem had no issues fitting, so it seems like a OG-EVKIN stem issue, not the fork steerer tube issue). Bike is ~15.4lbs so far, need the chain, pedals, bar tape, and seat yet. I'm not looking forward to routing the derailleur/brake lines through the handlebars or bleeding brakes--I may get the bike set up on my trainer and do a few bike fit tests before everything is completed to try and make sure the handlebar height is in the ballpark before routing everything. I plan on leaving a good bit of steerer tube free to make sure I can adjust more as needed down the road. December 23, 2023, 05:05:37 PM |
1 |
|
Re: Eddie's Airwolf YFR066 Build Thread
More progress--got the drivetrain set up (at least temporarily) without running the cables through the handlebars. I wanted to get it set up on my trainer so I could start doing some fit assessment (I still have ~8 months left on a MyVeloFit subscription) and get things in the ballpark. I'm trying not to freak out too much--but the entire front end of the bike is like a wet noodle. From what I can tell, everything is flexing--frame, headset/steerer tube, stem, handlebar. I'm going to try and swap out for a known good handlebar and stem to isolate those components at least, but I'm really concerned this frame will essentially be worthless. December 26, 2023, 01:36:32 PM |
1 |